Humility

Humility

Published before 2005

Great art is an achievement of human potential. But when we do well, it's easy to forget that we depend upon a kind of "grace." Now I'm not using that term as most religious folks do, but I do think it helps to maintain the view that we didn't create ourselves, our wonderful minds or bodies. Those were granted to us. We have been granted all kinds of other gifts as well... language, paint, a stable nation in which to make work, lots of good things flow to us that we didn't create, but that we depend upon. I don't particularly care about whether these good things came from design or accident, but I do think a proper view includes gratitude for them, as well as for those whose work makes them possible.